jdodson1

Joined 01/23/2012
  Admin

I'm an Engineer and built the video game community Cheerful Ghost and text based mini-MMO Tale of the White Wyvern.

2761 Posts

Nova CovertOps Pack 3 Launches November 22nd
Blizzard is launching the final Nova CovertOps mission pack on November 22nd and as a long time StarCraft fan I am happy to head back to the universe and vanquish evil yet it seems bittersweet. The first two Nova packs were were fun and I hope Blizzard releases more if not a full sized campaign. Recently a friend asked me what the last game was that I was engrossed in and it was the last StarCraft expansion, Legacy of the Void. Playing the campaigns was a fun experience and if Blizzard makes more, i'd love to head back in.

As far as the continuing story it seems that Blizzard is setting up a showdown with the newest evil Protoss on the block, the Tal'darim and the trailer above seems to tease that. After the missions drop and I finish them up i'll post my final review of the set and if they are anything like the first two chapters it should be a good one.

3 Years Later DirectSong Finally Shipped My Skyrim Album
February 14 2013 I put in an order for Skyrim on CD from DirectSong. DirectSong's tagline is "your unique record store" and seems to exclusively sell albums by Jeremy Soule. I figured i'd get the album in a couple weeks so I could rip it and listen to the Skyrim score from anywhere. A month later my Skyrim album hadn't shipped so I reached out to them to see where the order was. The first response from them was an automated email telling them I couldn't open a support ticket that way and I need to create a separate account on the support site. They told me that they had a stock issue and my response was:

Jon: I recommend next time being a bit more proactive by letting me know when you know. I totally get backups and product delays and don't fault you for that. But I had to submit a complaint before I knew.

DirectSong: I completely understand your concern and apologize for any Inconvenience. Unfortunately there has been a hold on shipping due to manufacturer delays. We are expecting the arrival of product any day now, Once received they will be ready for a signing session with the composer. Your patience understanding and cooperation thus far has been greatly appreciated. Once your order has been dispatched you will receive a confirmation email and USPS tracking number

We will be sure to keep you posted!

I felt pretty good about that. Jeremy was going to autograph my CD when stock came back which was a big bonus but I was annoyed they didn't reach out to tell me about the delay. Not a huge deal and I was super excited Jeremy would autograph it.

A few weeks later I got this email:

DirectSong: I am contacting you regarding your soundtrack order through DirectSong.com Our records indicate your order is well over the 4-6 week window we have quoted in the disclaimer, We understand the inconvenience these several delays have caused and truly hold your support with high value.

It is within my authority to issue your soundtrack at no additional charge via Link

Please keep in mind you will still receive your Autographed soundtrack.

To receive your soundtrack via DirectDownload please change the "Subject" of this message to either: "Skyrim", "Guildwars2" or "Both" and Reply to this message.

I was impressed. They reached out and I was going to get a digital download of the album and getting the album autographed? Awesome. That said 5 months went by and I didn't hear anything from them. I guess it could take 5 months to get more albums back in stock. Maybe they got lost somewhere? I filed another support ticket and received no response. I was pretty upset and at that point I stopped reaching out to DirectSong at all.

August of this year I decided to reach out again and send them a much less happy email. Years had gone by and I didn't receive my album and I was very upset. At this point I figured my money was flushed down a toilet. I actually did get a response back from the agency that represents Jeremy Soule and they finally shipped the album 3 months after they contacted me.

I do not recommend you buy anything from DirectSong if you want it to actually be delivered to you. My experience isn't unique as many people have had a terrible time with them too, I just wish i'd known that beforehand. That said the Skyrim score is fantastic and if you are looking for a great classical score for one of the best open world games around, it's worth listening to just don't go to DirectSong to do it.

http://www.ign.com/articles/2014/03/10/ign-has-your-back-dont-use-directsongcom
https://www.reddit.com/r/Guildwars2/comments/14slg7/ive_fought_with_directsong_for_too_long/

Super Mario Run Drops December 15th for $9.99 on iOS
Sorry Android friends, Super Mario Run is coming out on iOS exclusively(for now) on December 15th. Super Mario Run should eventually come out on Android but for now it seems to be exclusively iOS. Originally Nintendo said the game would cost money and not be free to play and today they let us know that Super Mario Run will debut for $9.99. You will be able to download the game at no cost and try it out but if you want the full meal deal you will have to pay a full meal price. I have seen some people complain that $9.99 is too much for a phone game and if Super Mario Run was as bad as most mobile games i've played then it really wouldn't be. That said, if the game plays as good as it looks then I think it will be well worth the $9.99 price tag.

But what do you think? Is $9.99 too much for a mobile game or is this just right for Mario?

http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20161115005715/en/Super-Mario-Run-Launches-iPhone-iPad-Dec

Ty Anderson's Ura Zelda Project Remakes Link's Awakening With The Ocarina of Time Engine
Ty Anderson is remaking the gameboy classic Link's Awakening with original art assets using the Ocarina of Time 64 game engine.

"I work tirelessly for hours at a time every moment I can, building temples, creating new actors, animating them, writing scripts, designing puzzles and relentlessly studying the possibilities of the old Nintendo 64 Ocarina of time ROM. My aim: to create a completely original version of The Legend of Zelda: Links Awakening in the Ocarina of Time Game Engine. "

This kind of project is interesting in that if it comes out could bring the game to an entirely new audience. With that, I wonder how well the game translates to 3D? The small 2D nature of the original game captured how connected everything was which led to the ending being much more powerful than a 3D open and expansive game.

https://www.facebook.com/UraZeldaRestoration/

The NES Classic Craze Continues For The Holidays With An Epic Teardown!
The NES Classic looks like it will be this holidays hot item. I wonder if Nintendo purposefully limited stock to create more demand for the product or if it's simply a case of the system being way more popular than they anticipated? Either way if you want to get a system pre-Christmas, right now, it looks like you will have to do a bit or work or pay some crazy ebay scalper prices, which I don't recommend. I was at Target today and they recommend calling in at 8.30am to see if they have any in stock and if they do to come in and pick it up. I don't love that method but I really would love opening this up on Christmas and so i'll be calling for now.

YouTuber JerryRigEverything has a fun video I linked above where he unboxes the NES Classic and then opens it up to examine the mainboard and components. As you can see, it's a system that is very well integrated and I don't immediately see how you could hack this thing from the mainboard. That said there might be a couple methods depending on what Nintendo has allowed over the controller port OR back USB port. People are already hacking Linux on these things, which is a good sign but so far it requires some main board soldering.

https://www.reddit.com/r/nintendo/comments/5cgbkm/linux_on_nes_classic_mini_current_progress_and/?sort=top

Regardless of if you want to hack it what's included is incredible and I can't wait to pick one up. If I am able to get my hands on one before the holidays i'll let you know and if you get one i'd love to hear your thoughts on it and how you picked it up.

Does Super Mario Land On Gameboy Hold Up?
When the Gameboy came out Super Mario Land was one of the more interesting launch titles. Being able to play a Mario game anywhere you wanted was an incredible prospect and Super Mario Land delivered. Even at the time I thought Super Mario Land was a bit basic but it was fun and I enjoyed playing it. Later Mario games brought more to the table and games like Metroid 2 and Link's Awakening showed that the Gameboy was capable of having an incredible library. GaminTank is a YouTuber I hadn't heard of before I saw this video but its well worth watching.

What 30 Games Would You Put On A Super Nintendo Mini?
http://i.imgur.com/d7tqyoj.jpg
Now that the NES Classic has launched and is getting incredible reviews I was wondering what we'd all like to see in a future Super Nintendo Mini launch? Curious what games people would put on it and make sure to limit your list to 30 games. Personally I think the Super Nintendo was one of the best consoles of all time and the game catalog is nothing short of incredible. Nintendo might not be able to license out each game on our lists but i'm curious what all our dream lists would be?

Drop your list in the comments and i'll do the same.

Moonwalker Are You Ok, Are You Ok Moonwalker?
CygnusDestroyer is back trying a case in Innocent Until Proven Guilty court for the Sega classic Micheal Jackson's Moonwalker. As someone that was exclusively Nintendo I was always interested in this game but never owned it. Every time I played it in the Arcade and at a friends house I rather liked it but it was only a level or two and never got the full King of Pop game experience. As with all the IUPG CygnusDestroyer videos I think his verdict is fair and gives this classic a new look.

Blaster Master Zero Set To Launch In 2017
http://inticreates.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/Blaster-Master-Zero-Logo-RGBQuarter.png
Blaster Master is an NES classic that many have fond memories of. What's not to love in a game where you can not only drive a tank but get out and explore on foot? The gameplay was great and upgrading the tank and your character was fun and as you progressed you felt like a badass. In retrospect my only minor gripe with Blaster Master is the same one I had with many NES games in that there was no save feature on the game cart. Developer Inti Creates and Sunsoft are partnering up to launch the all new Blaster Master Zero that will come out exclusively on the Nintendo 3DS and I hope later the Switch.

"Using the original Blaster Master game as a base, we are setting out to create a fully 8-bit experience in a way that both hearkens back to the golden age of the NES and uses the current generation hardware to optimize and power up the game for the players of today. This of course includes new areas and bosses, and new gameplay elements such as extra sub-weapons, improved gameplay when battling outside of your SOPHIA 3rd tank, a more robust scenario, refined and expanded exploration mechanics, and more."

Blaster Master Zero looks like an extension of the original game but does add new features such as in level gun switching and improved weapons. But at it's core it looks like if you loved the original game and always wanted more this is something you need to check out.

http://inticreates.com/blaster-master-zero-3ds/

FEZ Soundtrack Is One Of The Best "Centering" Game Scores Around
So it's post election time in the United States and I think we can all agree that it's been a very rough season. Many years ago I started listening to more Classical music during another particularlly charged election year because I was drawn to music that had less of an agenda by not featuring words. Which is why I think I enjoy listening to amazing video game scores. Not only is the music great but it's also a more personal experience beacuse the meaning isn't often as obvious.

FEZ is a very special Indie platformer that I consider to be one of the games that kicked off the Indie revolution. FEZ packs a bunch of charm and has a special kind of magic to it as you make your way collecting Tetrominoes. One big part of the whole experience is the score by Disasterpiece that is a nearly perfect collection of 26 tracks that weave the game together. Initially FEZ launched on the XBox 360 but I first played it after it came to PC. I picked up the score in a later Humble Bundle that had it as part of a download and it's been in constaint rotation on my iPhone and in nearly every playlist of albums i'm listening to. This might seem a bit strange but if I need to center myself or need to focus on something I put on the FEZ score. During my first Hearthstone fireside brawl I played the FEZ score during my matches to help as it contains some really moving pieces like the track Compass that seems more a series of notes meant to have you exist in the moment than draw you to any particular goal. I find that lack of agenda to be one of the best places to play Hearthstone from as its often easier to come to a good series of plays naturally than overthink something.

As we come out of this particularly hard election season I encourage you to find things that can bring you better to a centered place and for me one thing thing that helps is listening to the soundtrack to FEZ. But you know if blasting demons in Doom helps that's fine too. Hit me up in the comments love to hear what people are into.

You can listen to the whole FEZ score in it's entirely on Spotify for free by hitting the link below:

https://play.spotify.com/user/1263129891/playlist/2ERpj9ihXLG43UoBjxeTdM